Be an au pair
A world of possibilities
Working as an au pair gives young people the opportunity to have a memorable experience abroad on a small budget. Learning a new language, getting to grips with a new and fascinating culture, picking up intercultural skills, making rewarding friendships, becoming a valued member of a host family, learning to be independent and taking a major step on the journey towards adulthood – being an au pair offers all this and much more. It is therefore highly suitable for those who are young, curious about the world, love kids and are keen to step out of their comfort zone.
If you’re interested in gaining experience abroad as an au pair, you’ve come to the right place. In the following sections, we provide all the key information and explain the requirements, and we are, of course, available to answer any specific questions you may have.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@perfectway.ch or via our contact form.
Profile requirements
Potential au pair candidates should have the following skills:
- Between 18 and 30 years old (candidates with EU passport), between 18 and 25 years old (candidates without EU passport)
- Good knowledge of German or English to ensure communication with the host family
- Enjoyment of children and childcare
- Willingness to do light housework
- The candidate should be interested in the languages German or French and should also want to get to know the Swiss culture
- Willingness to integrate into and support a family
- Advantageous: openness, friendliness, reliability, sense of responsibility, willingness to learn and curiosity learn new things
- The ability to cook simple and healthy food
- Ability to swim
- A cultivated appearance
- Completed training is an advantage
- Cat B driving licence is an advantage
Important Information
Standard work contract (NAV) and laws
The employment relationship between the au pair and your employer (host family) shall be governed by a written employment contract. This contract is based on various legal foundations, AIG (para. 4.4.10) and VFP (para. 4.7.3) instructions, cantonal memoranda (kantonale Merkblätter) and cantonal standard work contracts (NAV).
Au pair fact sheets cantons (German):
Canton Aargau - EU-/EFTA-Staaten
Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden - EU/EFTA
Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden - Drittstaaten
Canton Graubünden - Drittstaaten
NAV cantones (German):
* For reasons of clarity, cantons not listed here also offer NAV to interested parties.
Remuneration
Au pair wages are governed by the guidelines of the relevant canton and, in Switzerland, range from CHF 500 to CHF 800 net per month. The host family pays at least the cost of the au pair’s travel to Switzerland. Depending on the canton, the host family also pays for the return journey. Board and lodging are set by law at CHF 990 per month and are considered part of the salary. In addition, the au pair must be paid a monthly meal allowance if the family go on holiday without the au pair or if the au pair does not have their meals in the home. In such cases, OASI rates apply. Furthermore, the au pair is entitled to at least 20 days (4 weeks) paid holiday a year, with those aged 20 and under entitled to 25 days (5 weeks).
Rights and obligations
The host family, must comply with legal obligations in this regard. These include issuing a written monthly payroll statement, registering with the relevant social insurance bodies, declaring withholding tax, providing an annual wage statement and calculating annual social security and withholding tax deductions.
The following rules apply to au pairs from both EU/EFTA and third countries:
- The au pair shall help the host family with childcare and light household chores. More demanding activities, such as educational tasks or foreign language lessons and extra tuition for the children, are excluded.
- The host family shall integrate the au pair into daily family life and treat them as part of the family. The host family shall contribute to expanding the au pair’s general education by helping them develop a deeper understanding of the host country, teaching them about Swiss customs and traditions, allowing them enough time off to take a language course and generally helping them learn the language.
- The au pair’s attendance at a compulsory course at an approved language school to learn the language spoken in the place of residence must be organised by the host family and involve at least 120 hours of classes (Art. 48, VZAE). The costs of the language course shall be covered by the host family.
- The maximum weekly working time is 30 hours, while daily working time must not exceed 6 hours. The au pair must be supervised by a parent for half the working time (15 hours). Being present in the home while working one's regular job does not count as supervising the au pair.
- Families who wish to take on an au pair from a third country must obtain the permit from a placement agency recognised in Switzerland.
- Au pairs from third countries must be aged between 18 and 25, and those from EU/EFTA countries must be between 17 and 30.
- Au pairs from third countries may work in Switzerland as an au pair for a maximum of one year, those from EU/EFTA countries, for a maximum of two years.
- The au pair and host family may not be of the same nationality, have the same mother tongue or be related.
- The language spoken in the home by the host family should be either German, French or Italian, depending on the canton in which the family lives.
Under the 'stand still' clause in the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (VFP), the following derogations apply to au pairs from EU/EFTA countries:
- The placement must not be organised through a placement agency.
- Au pairs may be aged between 17 and 30.
- The stay with the host family can be extended from 12 to 24 months.
When you employ an au pair, you are required to register them with the relevant social insurers, pay employers’ social insurance contributions and organise obligatory accident insurance. You will find more detailed information in the ‘Hausdienstarbeit’ booklet published (in German, as well as French and Italian) by the OASI/DI Information Centre in conjunction with the Federal Social Insurance Office: Informationsstelle AHV/IV in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Bundesamt für Sozialversicherungen: and on the homepage of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO): Private Arbeitgebende (admin.ch) (in German, as well as French and Italian).
You are further obliged to obtain a work permit for the au pair. You can find out more about this in the ‘Work permits’ section.
Further details can be found in our FAQ section.
Work permit
If you and your family wish to work together and you do not hold Swiss citizenship, a work permit will be required.
Au pairs from EU/EFTA countries
Obtaining a work permit for an au pair who holds an EU/EFTA passport is very straightforward. By analogous application of the European Agreement on Au Pair Placement and according to established practice in all EU member states, an au pair placement may only last for a limited period of time (L EU/EFTA permits; maximum 24-month stay). In light of their special status, persons placed au pair are entitled to geographic but not occupational mobility, i.e. they are not allowed to change jobs, unless they apply for a different permit.
It is your responsibility, as the employer, to obtain the work permit from the relevant cantonal labour authority. EU/EFTA citizens are entitled to an EU/EFTA short-term residence permit for au pairs.
Au pairs from non-EU/EFTA countries
Taking on an au pair from a non-EU/EFTA country (third-country nationals) is only possible in certain cantons of Switzerland.
Au pair permits are subject to quotas and are therefore limited in number. Certain cantons do not issue any permits for au pairs from non-EU/EFTA countries. These cantons are: Fribourg, Geneva, Obwalden, Solothurn, Vaud, Zurich. In these cantons, only au pairs with EU/EFTA citizenship may be taken on. All other cantons will generally approve au pair applications for non-EU/EFTA citizens.
If you wish to take on an au pair from a third country, you, as the host family, must obtain the permit from a placement agency recognised in Switzerland. In addition, the requirements under Art. 48 VZAE, AIG instructions (para. 4.4.10), the cantonal standard work contracts (NAV) and the au pair memoranda for the individual cantons must be fulfilled. Unlike EU/EFTA citizens, au pairs from third countries are not legally entitled to a residence permit, the authorities decide at their own discretion.
You can find further information in our FAQ.
Living in Switzerland
Live and reside in Switzerland as a foreigner: all you need to know about entry, residence and work. Information on moving house, acquiring real estate, withholding tax, social security, visa for travel to an EU country and additional schooling for children.